In Hamlet, what does polonius mean when he tells his son to"neither a borrower nor lender be.. and this ..

Question

above all, to thine own self be true?

Answer 1

It's probably the best advice you can give but Polonius is not a character who should be listened to, ironically! To thine ownself be true means that he should not allow himself to be forced into actions that his conscience knows are wrong. Never to do anything against his set of morals. You can translate 'neither a borrower or lender be' literally - don't owe stuff or let other people borrow stuff. Either way you'll have a problem. If you owe, you may not be able to pay back, if you're owed, you may not be paid and suffer as a result. Also, it can mean, again, don't put yourself in anyone's debt morally or be in moral debt to anyone else.

Answer 2

"Neither a borrower nor lender be" does not need an interpretation, but people get the "to thine own self be true" part wrong all of the time. Most people think it's some great piece of advice, but he's really saying "only look out for yourself, no matter how many people you have to step on along the way."

Answer 3

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" means exactly what it says. Don't borrow money from anybody, and don't lend money to anybody.

"This above all" means, this is the most important piece of advice I'm giving you.

"To thine own self be true" means be sure that you know what your personal values are and live up to them.